No. 3 Alabama survives upset scare, defeats Auburn 24-22 in four overtimes

The No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide have survived their toughest test of the season, defeating the Auburn Tigers 24-22 in four overtimes to win the 2021 Iron Bowl and keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.

Alabama was still be in the SEC championship game against Georgia and could still beat the Bulldogs to grab the best conference’s title. That might be enough to send the Crimson Tide into the top spot in the playoff.

Alabama’s win hurts potential 2-loss contenders like Ohio State and Oregon. The Buckeyes and Ducks now need total chaos in championship weekend to have any chance of making the field.

This is a bad development for undefeated Cincinnati, who rose into the top 4 for the first time this week. The Bearcats are the first Group of 5 team to be in the top 4, and the committee was certainly hoping to keep them out of the playoff entirely. Alabama staying alive has kept that agenda intact.